Lemons. You really gotta love ’em. In fact, my son loves them so much he eats them like oranges. Personally, I think he’s crazy, but I admit he gets his craziness from me. I end up using them a lot in cooking, and having a lemon tree in the backyard is a definite plus. One of the things I learned about lemon trees is that they are virtually indestructible. Whether I care for it or not, water it or leave it to itself, it continues to produce lemons. Lately, it seems like my funky lemon tree is a metaphor for life. Whether we are real attentive to life or are trying to escape it, it keeps spitting out those lemons. Now, they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Some have even found all kinds of uses for lemons, everything from keeping ants out of our kitchen to treating dandruff (no, I’m not making this stuff up). There’s definitely something to learn from this, taking the sour, bitter fruit that keeps getting thrown at us, and making something useful out of it. I figured, if I was going to face these things, I might as well make my list of uses kinda fun…
- Take a baseball bat and act like Willie Mays (ok, Babe Ruth for y’all east coasters), and start banging them over the backyard fence
- Decorate a basket, load it up with lemons, and place it on your neighbor’s doorstep with a note that says “from your secret admirer”
- Peel a bunch of lemons, stitch the peels together and make a hat
- Plant lemon seeds in the pattern of a smile. That way, when they grow up, the world will see how positive you take what it gives you
- Make slices and play mini frisbee golf
Ok, not the best list, but still fun. Feel free to add your own. After all, those lemon trees are gonna keep producing lemons.
Love this post Ken! It is so true and so timely for me right now. Your list is great, not sure I have anything to add.
Okay, I do have one. Roll them on the floor for the cats to sniff and bat around. As they scratch them, they release a fresh scent in the air, a win-win for everyone!
Hi Christie,
I love your add! I have no cats, only kids, so I would have never thought of this. Great win-win 🙂
Oh, I know… you should pack them in a bag and transport them over a large body of water and make your friend Lisa-Anne take them home. 🙂 I eat them like oranges, too! 🙂 and make lemon ices, and lemon pies, and lemon bars, and lemon zinger tea and lemon-almond cookies… 😀 Some of which I would make and then put in a box and drive a short distance and give to you and make you drive them back over a large body of water and consume them at your leisure. Crazy idea, huh? 🙂
Hmmm, just crazy enough to work… penciling in… bring big bag of lemons on Sunday… 🙂
cut them in half and nuke in the microwave to make microwave cleanup a cinch. cut them up and grind them in your garbage disposal to improve the smell.
Lemons rock!
Hi Christine,
I’ve done the garbage disposal thing, but have never considered this for the microwave. Thanks!
And the smell of the flowers? Wow! Nothing can beat that sweet, sweet smell! I think I miss that more than the actual lemons but, sadly, they don’t grow where it snows….
Love ya!
I do love the flowers, sis. I hate dealing with the thorns when I do take care of the tree, but it is so fragrant.
Today I was thinking about how much I love my lemon tree. I thought of the pool, the spa, the garden, and all the other delights found in my backyard. But I’d sacrifice all of them to keep my lemon tree. We are friends.
Then I came here and saw your lemon post … weird.
Hi Tricia,
Sounds like you have a great backyard! and I love the place of prominence your lemon tree has 🙂